Ilhéus
Encyclopedia
Ilhéus is a major city located in the southern coastal region of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, 430 km south of Salvador, the state's capital. The city was originally founded in 1534 as Vila de São Jorge dos Ilhéus and is known as one of the most important tourism centers of the northeast of Brazil.

The city's economy
Economic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...

 is based mainly on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

, as a result of its beautiful beaches and a rich cultural heritage that includes early Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 buildings, history and culinary distinctions, which bring to the city many Brazilian and foreign tourists. Ilheus has approximately 222,000 inhabitants, with an area of 1850 km sq, and its downtown is located 1 km away from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

. Once one of the biggest exporters of cocoa beans, the city depends almost entirely on tourism. Ilhéus has a very good infrastructure for tourism, including excellent hotels and many travel agencies.

Ilhéus is easily reachable by air with multiple flights daily from both Salvador and São Paulo on TAM Brazilian Airlines and Gol Linhas Aéreas.

Ilhéus is also the hometown of Jorge Amado
Jorge Amado
Jorge Leal Amado de Faria was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands in 1978...

, the best known and most popular writer in Brazil. He wrote over 25 novels, which were translated into 48 languages and stayed on bestseller lists in 52 countries. His novels like Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
Gabriela, Cravo e Canela
Gabriela, cravo e canela is a Brazilian Modernist novel. It was written by Jorge Amado in 1958. It is widely considered one of his finest works....

 and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos
Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos is a Brazilian novel, written by Jorge Amado in 1966.Amado's tale is of a woman's unlikely path to happiness. It is a vast panorama of life in the town of Salvador, Bahia, with dozens of characters.The novel has been adapted into a 1976 film....

 portray life and customs in the Northeastern region of Brazil. The plots of these and his other major works largely treat the lives of poor urban and rural black and mulatto communities of Bahia, as well as the land wars that raged in Ilhéus, where cocoa barons killed each other for power and cocoa plantations.

Beaches

Do Norte (Northern Beach)
Mixing a strip of coconut trees with rich vegetation of native Atlantic Forest, running parallel to the beach for many kilometers there is the Almada River. There visitors will find standardized stalls and a very long bicycle lane. It is a good place for swimming, walking, surfing, and fishing.

São Miguel (da Barra) (Saint Michael’s Beach – Beach of the Sandbank)
It is a beautiful beach, with a vast area of coconut trees, clear sands, and calm waters. The infrastructure on the beach includes stalls and lodges located in the local fishermen’s village.

Da Avenida (Beach of the Avenue)
Centrally located, its main attractions are on the seashore, where many facilities have been built, such as multiple-activity sports courts, a bike lane, a band shell, the “Folias da Gabriela” circus, and the Luís Eduardo Magalhães Conventions Center.

Do Cristo (Christ’s Beach)
As its very name indicates, there is a statue of the Redeeming Christ on this very popular beach for tourists. Its waters are recommended for various water sports, such as kayaking, jet-skiing, and hobby-cat sailing.

Da Concha (Shell’s Beach)
A small-sized beach, with a total width of only 100 meters (about 330 feet). From there, tourists have a good view of the Baía do Pontal (End Beach) and of the Avenida Beach (Beach of the Avenue). Located at the base of Pernambuco Hill, it still has areas of native vegetation mixed with many coconut trees. Its waters are calm, ideal for swimming.

Do Sul (Southern Beach)
Having as its main characteristic a thick field of coconut trees and traces of the native Atlantic Forest, this urban beach is one of the busies beaches in the city. Along its whole length tourists will find a great number of food stalls, most of which specialize in the typical dishes of the state of Bahia. In the sea, stretches of reefs and natural swimming pools with sandy bottoms are greatly sought by divers and surfers.

Dos Milionários (Millionaires’ Beach)
Its name is a direct consequence of the fact that it was formerly the beach of choice of the rich cocoa “colonels” (local farm owners, caudillos). Today, it is the most desired beach on the south coast, by swimmers and tourists alike, who love its very long strip of sand bordered by a row of coconut trees. Its infrastructure includes a camping site, several standardized stalls, showers, and rest rooms.

Cururupe
A rich beach in number of growths of mangroves, it also has rental huts and kayaks. It also has great historical importance, because it was the stage of a fierce battle in 1559, which destroyed almost completely the village of the Brazilian Indians.

Back Door
The first beach of the Olivença district, the Back Door beach is characterized by its enormous waves. Because of this, the beach has become the beach of choice for the most important surfing championships held in the state of Bahia.

Batuba
Its landscape is a mix of vast areas of coconut trees and many reefs. It is a very busy beach, much appreciated by surfers. There are several adjacent restaurants specializing in seafood. There is also a good camping site, with all the usual facilities.

Cai N’água (Milagres) (Fall in the Water – Miracles Beach)
With well equipped stalls, many swimming areas of clear still water, this beach is perfect for the enjoyment of families. It is located within the zone of the settlement with the same name, and contains many summer vacation houses as well.

Canabrava
One of the favorite beaches for vacationers, on the beach there are countless rental houses and cottages. Its landscape is a mix of coconut tree fields, coral reefs, and large resorts.

Acuípe
This beach has a very special landscape, with a mix of sandbank vegetation and a beautiful spread of coconut trees. In Acuípe, tourists will find several hotels and lodges offering visitors an excellent infrastructure. The beach is good for walking, sea bathing, and reel fishing.

In Town

Museu Casa de Cultura Jorge Amado (Jorge Amado House of Culture Museum)
The estate was bought by Colonel João Amado, father of Jorge Amado, the most famous writer of the state of Bahia. There, the Colonel built his large beautiful house, with spacious lounges decorated in jacaranda wood and Carrara marble. Its construction started at the beginning of the 1920s, and was finished in 1926. The famous writer spent part of his life here. The house has also been used as the headquarters of the Clube dos Bancários (Club of the Bank Employees), and of the Faculdade de Direito de Ilhéus (Ilhéus College of Law). Today, it houses the Fundação Cultural de Ilhéus (Ilhéus Cultural Foundation) and the Casa de Jorge Amado (Jorge Amado’s House). The building is a cultural centre that pays homage to the writer and whose main objective is the advancement of local culture.

Jorge Amado de Faria (August 10, 1912 – August 6, 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 30 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands (Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos) in 1978. His work dealt largely with the poor urban black and mulatto communities of Bahia.

São Jorge de Ilhéus Church (Saint George of Ilhéus Church)
This church dates back to the end of the seventeenth century, according to the Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural do Estado da Bahia – IPAC/BA (Institute of the Artistic and Cultural Patrimony of the State of Bahia). The church is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilhéus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilhéus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilhéus is a diocese located in the city of Ilhéus in the Ecclesiastical province of São Salvador da Bahia in Brazil.-History:...

.

Sacred Art Museum
It is located next to the São Jorge de Ilhéus Church. Its collection includes a secular statue of Saint George, sacred documents, valuable items and objects from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, and a panel portraying the history of Ilhéus. The museum is supported by the Metropolitan Curia.

Bar Vesúvio (Vesuvius Bar)
The Bar Vesúvio (Vesuvius Bar) has been one of the most visited places in the town ever since its creation, at the end of the 1920s, when it was frequented by cocoa farmers who would meet their friends and recount their stories and love conquests. Many visitors and tourists who drop by know it from the Jorge Amado novel Gabriela, Cravo e Canela (Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon), and who come to savor the famous “Nacib’s kibbeh” – one of dishes most referred to in the novel, in which Mr. Nacib is the owner of the Vesuvius bar, the place where young Gabriela works.

Ecoparque de Una (Una’s Ecopark)
At 19 km (11.81 mi.) from the Una Biological Reservation, in a journey that passes by the beautiful beaches of the Southern coast of Ihéus, the Una Ecopark begins in the middle of a rubber plantation where visitors can see the manual extraction of the sap of the rubber tree. Trails in the park take visitors to a suspended footbridge, of some 20 meters (65.62 feet) of height, in the crown of the trees, with a privileged view of the Atlantic Forest. During the ride, often are tourists dazzled with the “visit” of the nice Golden Lion Tamarins. The final prize is a refreshing bath in the waters of the Maruim River. This ride requires its prior scheduling with the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis – IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and the Renewable Natural Resources).

Mata da Esperança Botanical Garden (Hope Woods Botanical Garden)
With an immense variety of species of the Atlantic Forest, the Mata da Esperança Park – today the Botanical Garden – represents a place of resistance and preservation of the native fauna and flora of the area. Either form bicycle or on foot, visitors can cover its trails, having a unique possibility of enjoying the wonders kept there, such as the Golden-headed Lion Tamarin.

Engenho da Esperança (Esperança Sugar Mill)
Around the sixteenth century, in the area where today is the Botanical Garden there was the Engenho da Esperança (Esperança Sugar Mill). It is worth paying the place a visit to see its ruins and learn about the histories of the place’s past. The company of a guide to show the ways and guide the hikes is fundamental. In the town’s center, tourists may rent bicycles. With them, the whole ride, which lasts some three hours on foot, is reduced to only one hour.

Centro de Recuperação do Bicho-Preguiça (Sloth Recovery Center)
The center is located within the area of Atlantic Forest, in the Centro Educativo da Natureza (Educational Center of the Nature). That center, which serves to both recover and re-introduce species of sloth into its natural habitat, won the 1998 Prêmio Natureza (1998 Nature Prize). The animals of the Centro de Recuperação (Recovery Center) dazzle visitors because of how much they resemble plush animals, and for their friendliness in the contact with humans. During the rides, which last four hours on the average, it is possible to see other species of animals and plants, natural to the Atlantic Forest. To visit the Center, tourists have to schedule the visit in advance, calling the center at +55 73 3214-3014/3016/3013.

Transport

  • Road: BR-101
    BR-101
    The BR-101 is a longitudinal highway of Brazil. It is the longest in the country with a length of nearly , and it is also considered the most important....

     connects it to Itabuna
    Itabuna
    Itabuna is a city in Bahia, Brazil. Located around , it's the 6th city in Bahia, after Salvador, Feira de Santana, Vitória da Conquista, Juazeiro and Ilhéus in size of population, with an estimative of 209,211 inhabitants in 2006. The city covers a total area of 443.2 km².Itabuna became a city...

     and beyond.
  • Air: Ilhéus Jorge Amado Airport
    Ilhéus Jorge Amado Airport
    Ilhéus/Bahia-Jorge Amado Airport , is the airport serving Ilhéus, Brazil. Since March 12, 2002 it is named after the writer Jorge Amado de Faria , who was born in the nearby city of Itabuna.It is operated by Infraero.-History:...

     with daily flights of Avianca Brazil, Azul Brazilian Airlines
    Azul Brazilian Airlines
    Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S/A is a Brazilian domestic low-cost airline based in Barueri. It was established on 5 May 2008 by Brazilian-born David Neeleman, founder and former-CEO of JetBlue. The airline began service on December 15, 2008 and has ordered a fleet of 76 Embraer 195 jets...

    , GOL
    Gol
    Gol can refer to:* Volkswagen Gol, a car made by Volkswagen do Brasil* Gol Transportes Aéreos Brazilian airline, company* Gol Acheron, a character in the Jak and Daxter videogame series* Gol, Norway, a municipality in Buskerud, Norway...

    , TAM
    TAM
    -Finance:* Total addressable market, a financial term used to reference the revenue opportunity available for a product or service- Military :* TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar , an airline in Bolivia...

     and TRIP Linhas Aéreas
    TRIP Linhas Aereas
    TRIP Linhas Aéreas S/A is a domestic regional airline based in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil in October 2011 Trip had 3.81% of the domestic market share in terms of passengers per kilometre flown.-History:The airline was established in 1998...


with destinations Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...

-Confins
Tancredo Neves International Airport
Tancredo Neves International Airport , formerly called Confins International Airport, is the main airport serving Belo Horizonte, Brazil, located in the adjoining municipality of Confins...

 (CNF), Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...

 (BSB), Campinas
Campinas
Campinas is a city and municipality located in the coastal interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. is the administrative center of the meso-region of the same name, with 3,783,597 inhabitants as of the 2010 Census, consisting of 49 cities....

 (VCP), Porto Seguro
Porto Seguro
Porto Seguro is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Bahia. It is the site where the Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral first set foot on Brazilian soil on April 22, 1500...

 (BPS), Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

-Galeão (GIG), Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

-Santos Dumont (SDU), Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...

 (SSA), São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

-Congonhas (CGH), São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

-Guarulhos (GRU) and Vitória (VIX).
  • Sea: Port of Ilhéus.

External links

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